Clutch device for motor vehicles



May 1935.

' A. e. VON SODEN-FRAUNH'OFEN ETAL CLUTCH DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Feb. 16, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 14, 1935.

v 2,001,292 A. G. VONSODEN-FRAUNHOFEN ETAL CLUTCH DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Feb. 16, 1935 Patented May 14, 1935 Our invention relates to free-wheel devices in Such devices generally .are inmotor vehicles.

2,001,292 ow'rcn DEVICE FOR MOTOR vamouzs Alfred Graf von Soden-Fraunhofen and Albert Maier, Frledrichshafen, Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen Aktiengesellschaft, Friedrichshafen, Germany a Application February 16,1933, Serial No. 657,007 In Germany February 26, 1932 2 Claims.

serted in the propeller shaft of the vehicle between the gear box and the fear axle-transmission.

Lately it has been proposed to provide such free-wheel devices with means for blocking the free-wheeling mechanism at will, especially in cases in which the driver wants a driving connection from the wheels of the vehicle backwards to the motor for the purpose of exerting braking forces. a

For such blocking of the free-wheeling mechanism a claw coupling may bejprovided. The dimculty connected therewith is a smooth and shockless operation of such coupling.

According to our invention we provide means by which the operation of the clutch is prepared but not perfected before the two coupling halves have come to substantially equal speed of rotation. For this purpose the the claw coupling has a resil operating lever for iently situated more or less wedge-shaped member adapted to co-operate with an adequately shaped member rigidly fixed to the arm for shifting one of the claw coupling halves into or out of engagement with the second coupling half.

We prefer to make the arrangement so that only the shifting of the claw coupling halves into engagement is delayed and afterwards perfected automatically when the two coupling halves have come to substantially equal speed of rotation,

whereas the dis-engagement of the coupling goes simultaneously with the adequate operation of the operating lever. If so desired, this latter operation may be perfected in the same manner as the engagement of the coupling halves, that is, with preparation and later automatic operation after the transmitting force between the two halves has adequately decreased.

All this will beunderstood best when having reference to the drawings whichrepresent two examples embodying our invention.

Figs. 1 and 2 are longitudinal vertical sections through a free-wheel device connected with a claw coupling, giving two different positions.

Fig. 3-15 a corresponding cross section taken on I line IJIIII of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side-view of one modification of the invention, with the outer casing being removed. Figs. 5 and 6 represent details of Fig. 4 in different positions.

Fig. 7 is a side' view of another modification;

partly in section. Figs. S-fand 9 correspond to Fig. 1 but show different p0 ;bers of the mechanism.

sition's of the memassignors to (Cl. 192-67) g The free-wheel mechanism comprises an inner member I formed integral with the first shaft 5,

and an outer member 2 splined to the second shaft "4. Between both members rollers 3 are provided. Member I at its circumference is 5 shaped step like, as is usual with unidirectional driving devices.

Furthermore, member I at its front face has projecting claws 6 adapted to engage with the claws of member 2-. These claws may ,beshaped in any well-known manner.

Member 2 can be shifted axially by means of fork-like element 8.- Integral with this element 8 there is a plate 8' having two slits 8" into which screw bolts 9 extend serving as guiding means.

Opera-ting lever I5 is Journaledon pin l2. It

has an arm I3.

In this arm a spring II is situated which presses on a member Ill. The plate 8' at its lower rim opposite to member III has one or two recesses.

In the first example, represented in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, member It has a double wedge shape and plate 8' has two recesses into each of whichmember l0 fits. The recesses have sloping side faces l8 and an angle point I9. The side faces Ill of member. ID correspond to the side faces N3 of the There are stops it for the swinging movement of arm !3. g

In the second example, represented in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the shape of member ID and of the corresponding recess in plate 8' is different from that recesses.

in the first mentioned example. The angles ofinclination of the side faces 22 and 23 are different from each other and consequently the recess also has two diflerent side faces 26and 25.

Furthermore, in the second example there is an element. 28 against which spring ll bears also and which presses against frame 30 having a left hand and a right hand rest position 29.

The operation of'theentire mechanism is as follows:

In- Fig. 4, corresponding to Fig. 1, the device is I represented in the free-wheelingposition with the claw coupling 6/ I being dis-engagedand plate 8 being in its right hand'position. If lever I5 is moved to the felt, which meansthat arm I3 is 4 moved to the right, member III at the same time slides along the right hand side face of the left hand recess of platet' into the position shown in v Fig. 5, in which it presses against the left hand side face of the right hand recess, tending to shift plate fl'together with member 8 and member 2 into their left hand positions, thus causing engagementbetween members 2, and I by means of claws I and 6. This engagement will occur automatically under the pressure of spring left hand position. It is assumed that this need not be explained again in detail.

In the example represented in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the operation for coupling members land 2 corresponds to the adequate. operation inthe first example:

From the free-wheeling position shown in Fig. 8 arm I3 is movedinto the positionshown in Fig.

9 thus tensioning plate 3" towards the left, spring II causing this movement as soon as the resisting circumstances allow. The positions then attained are represented'in'Fig. 7.

If arm, out of this latter position, is moved back into the position shown in Fig. 8, the right hand side face of member Ill bears against the side face 25 of the recess in plate 8' and causes this plate together with member 8 and member 2 to be moved to the right and thus to dis-engage coupling 6/1 immediately with the operation of lever l5, because of the broken shape of side face 25.

.shaped element and said member alternately Our new design of free-wheel devices has the aforementioned advantages, and besides it allows for a very simple and compact construction of the entire mechanism, as may be seen from the drawings. We do .not want to be limited to the details described or shown in the drawings as many variations will occur to those skilled in the art. What we claim is:- 1

1. A device for shifting one positive clutch member. into and out'of engagement with another comprising: a member in operative connection with said first clutch member, a wedge-shaped element adapted to co-operate with said member, a spring pressing against said element and adapted to force said member into one of its end positions, said member having an unsymmetrical notch, one side thereof being smooth the other one having a broken side face.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 further including means for resiliently holding said wedgein one of their common end positions.

ALFRED GRAF v.

SODEN FRAUNHOFEN. ALBERT MAIER. 

